Hall of Fame Member Bios 1995

MIKE D’ALESSANDRO
Mike D’Alessandro was a standout two-way tackle on the Group
4 1945 and 1946 Collingswood High School football teams. In his
senior year he served as captain and was selected All-South Jersey.
After graduation, he played outstanding football at Glassboro State
College and for several of the strong independent football squads
which were so much a part of post-World War II life.
Following the service, Mike coached baseball at Gloucester High
for five years and then returned to Collingswood. His 33 years of
coaching service at his Alma Mater is the longest in school history.
He was a football assistant for 17 years, a baseball aide for two
years, and as head coach directed the Colls tennis squad to 19 successive
winning seasons, capturing four South Jersey titles.
In 1990 he was inducted into the New Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame.

DOUG FRAMBES
Doug Frambes had the honor of pitching on the first varsity baseball
team coached by Bill Diemer and was a teammate of Hall of Famers
Hank Rossell, Al Usilton and George Pims. He then had a long teaching
career at Riverside High School, where he also coached many outstanding
basketball teams – including a state championship team.
However, Frambes is best known today as South Jersey’s leading
sports historian. The author of two books – including “Hail
Panthers, Here They Come”, the history of Collingswood football
– he gained a great following for his weekly “sports
scrapbook” features in the Courier Post. His sports nostalgia
articles are now a popular weekly feature in the Retrospect newspaper.
Doug has been a strong supporter of Collingswood athletics for the
past 50 years and as been a member of the Collingswood Athletic
Hall of Fame Committee from the outset. The committee is honored
to induct him into the Hall of Fame as a contributor to Collingswood
athletics.

FRANK JAKOB
Frank Jakob was an outstanding athlete who starred in one of Collingswood’s
most celebrated eras. He lettered on three successive championship
football squads, earning All-South Jersey honors as a senior in
1936. He also won three letters in both basketball and track and
was selected as the top athlete in the class of 1937.
Following high school, Jake, as he was known in his playing days,
went to Pennsylvania Military College, where he starred in football,
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. In World War II, he served
as ab infantry captain during the invasion and subsequent conquest
in North Africa.
His leadership qualities were evident in both high school and college.
At PMC, he held the high rank of Battalion Captain of the Corps
of Cadets.

BILL DAVIS
A 1933 CHS graduate, Bill Davis was a three-year starter in baseball
and basketball. In his final two years he served as captain of basketball
units, which captured Camden Suburban League titles. In both those
years he was the team’s top scorer.
In baseball he was a smooth-fielding, hard-hitting first baseman
who in later years would perform for top-level squads in South Jersey
and in the Philadelphia League. He attended Duke for two years and
as a sophomore lettered in baseball.
Davis had his greatest scholastic days at Camden, then the school’s
most bitter rival. He has fond memories of leading his basketball
team to an 18-16 victory and then that spring driving a game-winning
homer over the center field fence at Camden.

ELSIE ROGERS RUSSELL
During her superlative career at Collingswood High, Elsie Rogers
accumulated 12 varsity letters. She excelled in field hockey, basketball,
tennis, swimming and diving. As a senior, she was selected on the
All-South Jersey hockey team.
Frequently called “Peanut” because of her lack of size,
Elsie made up for her stature with speed, skill and a competitive
nature. She always played at her best when the going was the toughest.
Her contemporaries like to recall how she rallied her hockey team
to a 2-1 conquest of Gloucester in a game for the West Jersey League
title. Her last second desperation shot brought the Panthers a league
title in a victory over Woodbury. She was considered South Jersey’s
finest diver.

DREW WILSON
One of the great all-around athletes of his day, Drew starred in
football, basketball and baseball, and even found time to do a little
sprinting for the track team.
He starred on the championship football teams of 1945 and 1956.
As a senior he was selected All-South Jersey quarterback. A triple-threat
in the old-time single wing days, he was a breakaway runner, a marvelous
passer and consistent punter. His game-winning touchdown run against
John Bartram is fresh in the memory of everyone in the packed stands
that day.
Drew was an able basketball guard and a competent baseball catcher.
In the latter role he caught several of the no-hitters thrown by
future big leaguer, Ray Narleski. He was selected the outstanding
male athletes of the class of 1947.

JOE JONES
Early in the season of 1939 when Joe was a sophomore, Skeets Irvine
inserted him into a varsity game. It took only a few plays for the
coaches and fans to realize that a new star was on the way. He lettered
that year and then took over a regular tackle spot during the championship
season of 1940. In his senior year he serve as captain and was chosen
All-South Jersey tackle.
He also excelled in track and field. At the time of his graduation
in 1941 he held all the school javelin records. Big for his day
at 200 pounds, he possessed the speed to run on the school relay
teams. He was a capable free-style swimmer, but World War II restrictions
forced the school to abandon the sport in his final year.
He was awarded a football scholarship to Temple, but before the
season started volunteered for the Army Air Corps. After his discharge,
he coached successful Midget league football and YMCA League basketball
squads.

DIANNA ONOFRI McLAUGHLIN
Diana was selected the female athlete of the year 1947. During her
high school days, she annexed three letters in field hockey and
softball, and two in basketball. She had the thrill of playing on
championship hockey teams all three years and was high scorer as
a senior. Those title seasons remain fresh in her memory, particularly
being chosen captain in her senior year. She has happy memories
of hockey camp in the Poconos and the marvelous spirit which was
such an important part of her high school days.
Married to Colls High athlete, Mickey, the union has produced six
children and five grandchildren.

RUTH HAGY HOUSER
Ruth Hagy was one of Oaklyn’s gifts to Colls High athletics.
She served as captain of both the softball and basketball teams,
playing basketball for three years and softball for two. Softball
did not become a varsity sport until she was a junior.
In her junior season she was high scorer on the basketball squad
but her senior year was marred by illness. An all-around student,
Ruth labored for the school newspaper and was in the glee club and
choir. After graduation, she was offered a scholarship at Temple,
but decided upon marriage.
She later played semipro sports on top-level teams for several years.
This 1945 Colls graduate matriculated at Glassboro State in 1964
and earned her degree in 1969, the same year as her son, Steven.

RON BANDOCK
Ron Bandock was a three-year starter and a star player for Coach
“Rit” Ritter’s basketball teams of the late 1950’s.
A strong rebounder as well, Bandock was one of Collingswood’s
first scorers. He went on to break the career and single-game (with
40 points) records on the hardwood.
While a knee injury curtailed his efforts to play football, Bandock
earned three letters as a high jumper and hurdler on the track team.
Ron was a scholastic basketball official for many years and helped
establish the girls’ youth softball program in Collingswood.

DAVE GURTCHEFF
Dave Gurtcheff was considered a “little guy” even by
the standards of the mid-1950’s, but was tough as nails as
a football running back for the Panther teams of 1953 and ’54.
As a senior, he was named first team All-Group 4 and second team
All-South Jersey. As a sophomore, Gurtcheff lettered as a diver
on the swim team and placed third in the South Jersey Diving Championships.
When Collingswood initiated wrestling in his junior year, Dave proved
a quick learner and a standout matman. He placed second in South
Jersey in the 148-lb. class as a junior, then became the Panthers’
first South Jersey champion as a 158-pounder in his senior year.
He also placed fourth in the state.

JOANNE VAN ISTENDAL
Joanne Van Istendal, a 1959 classmate of Ron Bandock, won a total
of ten varsity letters at Collingswood – three each in hockey,
basketball, and softball, and one in swimming. Not surprisingly,
she was voted the “most athletic” girl in her class.
Joanne captained a hockey team that won the South Jersey League
championship. She earned a reputation as a tough defender in both
hockey and basketball. She san also be proud of winning an achievement
award for attaining high scholastic honors while playing four varsity
sports.

DAVE TUNDERMANN
The Ridingers’ great football teams of the mid-1960’s
were led by three straight middle linebackers. Dave Tundermann was
the first, followed by co-inductee Bob MacBride and previous inductee
John Sohanchak. A three-year letterman as a center/linebacker, Tundermann
was All-Conference, All-South Jersey Group 3 and All-South Jersey.
First in his class academically, Tundermann also received the prestigious
National Football Foundation and Brooks-Irvine Scholar-Athlete Awards.
He also wrestled for two years at Collingswood.

BOB MacBRIDE
Bob “Mick” MacBride was a hard-hitting middle linebacker
on defense and an aggressive guard on offense for Dick Ridinger’s
outstanding football teams of the mid-1960’s. He captained
Dick Ridinger’s last team in 1965. That year he was named
All-Conference, All-South Jersey and All-State as guard and linebacker.
He also received the school’s “Hatchet Award”
for most tackles.
An all-around athlete, MacBride also lettered in wrestling and track
and field during his years at Collingswood High.

JONI WILLIAMS RAUSNITZ
Joni Williams Rausnitz was an outstanding athlete in the class of
1964. She lettered for three years each in field hockey and tennis,
and for two years in basketball.
Joni was captain of the 1963 hockey team that went undefeated and
won the league championship. That same year she was the highest
ranked tennis player in South Jersey. Joni was a recipient of the
Knight Award for high academic achievement while playing varsity
sports at Colls High.

JIM SKEDZIELEWSKI
Jim Skedzielewski played on the great ’68 basketball team
as a sophomore, then took over team leadership after the departure
of Hall of Famers Steve Kaplan and Tim Wright. He emerged as an
All-South Jersey and All-Group 3 forward.
“Skedz” became one of Collingswood’s all-time
leading basketball scorers and also played varsity baseball for
two years. A class president for three years and an honor student,
he also received the Howard T. Irvine Award.

DEBBIE TWEED
Debbie Tweed played field hockey, basketball and lacrosse at Collingswood,
and all three teams were big winners during her tenure. She played
varsity hockey as a junior and captained the team in her senior
year. In both those years, the hockey team won the Courier-Post
Cup and Debbie was All-Conference, All-Group 3 and All-South Jersey.
Debbie was a guard on a basketball team that won the South Jersey
Group 3 championship, but experienced the ultimate thrill of playing
with two state lacrosse teams in 1976 and ’77. She captained
the lacrosse team in her senior year.

BILL NARLESKI
Bill Narleski follows his uncles, Ray and Ted, into the Collingswood
Hall of Fame. His dad, the late Bob Narleski, was also a fine baseball
player at C.H.S. Bill lettered for two years in soccer and captained
the basketball team, for which he was a second team All-Conference
guard.
But Bill Narleski’s best sport was baseball. He was All-Conference
and All-Group 3 shortstop for two years and an All-South Jersey
performer as a senior. He captained the baseball team and won the
Brooks-Irvine Award as “Male Athlete of the Year.”

LIZ FERRARA
Liz Ferrara competed in hockey, basketball and lacrosse at Colls
High. She was the varsity goalkeeper for the hockey team during
her junior and senior years, when she was All-Conference, All-Group
3 and second team All-South Jersey. Liz was captain and MVP of the
team as a senior.
A two-year varsity performer in basketball, Liz’ best accomplishments
came in lacrosse. She played on a state championship team as a junior.
As a senior, she was the team MVP, first team All-South Jersey and
the Coaches Association “Player of the Year.”